(FIRST SPORTSMAN'S)

A RECORD OF ITS SERVICES IN THE
GREAT WAR, 1914-1919

BY

FRED. W. WARD

CAPTAIN R.E.,
FORMERLY NO. 662 FIRST SPORTSMAN'S BATTALION

LONDON
SIDGWICK & JACKSON, LTD.
1920

CONTENTS

PAGE

FOREWORDS 1

THE SPORTSMEN 3

FROM MAJOR-GENERAL SIR C.E. PEREIRA, K.C.B., C.M.G. 4

FROM MAJOR-GENERAL R.O. KELLETT, C.B., C.M.G. 7

FORMATION OF THE BATTALION, THE HONOURS GAINED, AND ITS
RECORD IN BRIEF 9

A NEW TYPE OF SOLDIER--THE COSMOPOLITAN COMPOSITION OF
THE BATTALION 15

TRAINING AT HOME--HOW THE FINISHED SOLDIER EMERGED FROM
THE ROUGH MATERIAL 23

SERVICE OVERSEAS--HEAVY FIGHTING ALL ALONG THE FRONT,
AND A TRIUMPHAL MARCH INTO GERMANY 35

GREAT WORK ACCOMPLISHED--HOLDING UP A GERMAN ADVANCE--
SILENCING SNIPERS IN A DERELICT TANK--AND SOME OTHER
THINGS 67

PRESENTATION OF THE KING'S COLOUR--MAJOR-GENERAL SIR
C.E. PEREIRA, K.C.B., C.M.G., AND HIS PRIDE IN THE
BATTALION 73

"GOOD-BYE AND GOOD LUCK"--BRIGADIER-GENERAL A.E.
MCNAMARA, C.M.G., D.S.O., AND HIS FAREWELL TO THE 23RD
ROYAL FUSILIERS 77

THE BATTLE OF DELVILLE WOOD--AN ADVANCE IN FACE OF
HUNDREDS OF MACHINE GUNS--A PERSONAL NARRATIVE 81

EXPERIENCES AS A PRISONER OF WAR--EXTRACTS FROM THE
DIARY KEPT BY "MR. BROOKS, THE SCHOOLMASTER" 93

THE HONOURS' LIST: NAMES OF OFFICERS AND MEN AWARDED
DECORATIONS AND MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES 103

THE ROLL OF HONOUR: OFFICERS AND OTHER RANKS WHO
DIED THAT ENGLAND MIGHT LIVE 111

THE NOMINAL ROLL: NAMES AND NUMBERS OF THE ORIGINAL
MEMBERS OF THE BATTALION WHO JOINED EITHER AT THE HOTEL
CECIL, LONDON, OR AT HORNCHURCH, ESSEX 143

EDITOR'S NOTE